576 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\   December,  1910. 
and  the  resulting  liquid  diluted  and  emulsified  with  gelatin  or 
some  similar  substance.  The  production  is  said  to  contain  relatively 
small  quantities  of  the  active  constituents  (/.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  1910, 
v.  55,  p.  1662). 
Capsicin. — E.  K.  Nelson  discusses  the  detection  of  comparatively 
small  amounts  of  capsicum  in  mixtures  by  isolating  the  contained 
capsicin  and  testing  physiologically  (/.  Ind.  and  Eng.  Chem.,  1910, 
v.  2,  p.  419). 
Cocaine,  Volatility  of. — H.  C.  Fuller  points  out  that  cocaine  is 
volatile  at  ioo°  C.  and  that  this  fact  is  important  in  connection 
with  analytical  work  and  should  be  noted  in  the  Pharmacopoeia 
(/.  Ind.  and  Eng.  Chem.,  1910,  v.  2,  p.  426). 
Diaspirin. — This  is  described  as  being  succinyl-disalicylic  acid ; 
a  salicylic  acid  derivative,  produced  by  the  interaction  of  the  two 
carboxyl  groups  of  succinic  acid  with  the  phenolic  hydroxyls  of  two 
molecules  of  salicylic  acid  and  the  elimination  of  two  molecules 
of  water.  Diaspirin  is  an  odorless,  and  almost  tasteless,  white, 
crystalline  powder  said  to  melt  at  about  1780  C.  It  is  a  dibasic 
acid  which  reacts  with  bases,  organic  and  inorganic,  to  form  salts. 
The  usual  dose  is  1  gramme  three  times  a  day  (/.  Am.  M.  Ass., 
1910,  v.  55,  p.  666). 
Digestive  Tablets. — Puckner  and  Warren  discuss  the  fallacy  of 
using  any  one  of  the  many  combinations  of  pepsin,  pancreatin, 
diastase,  hydrochloric  acid,  and  lactic  acid  that  are  offered  in  the 
form  of  compressed  tablets.  They  point  out  that  "  shot  gun  pre- 
scriptions "  of  this  type  catch  the  unthinking  doctor  as  well  as 
the  self-drugging  public  who  still  adhere  to  the  old  theories  re- 
garding digestive  ferments  (/.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  1910,  v.  55,  p.  710). 
Ergot. — Wood  and  Hofer  discuss  the  pharmacology  of  ergot 
and  point  out  that  ergot  is  a  stimulant  to  all  the  unstriped  muscle 
tissue  of  the  body.  They  believe  that  the  degree  of  elevation  of 
blood-pressure  affords  an  accurate  criterion  of  the  activity  of  ergot 
and  that  the  active  principle  is  an  alkaloidal  substance  which  occurs 
in  the  drug,  probably  in  chemical  union  with  a  resinous  body  (Arch. 
Int.  Med.,  1910,  October.    /.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  1910,  v.  55,  p.  1681). 
Ferratin. — Chemically  this  is  known  as  sodium  ferrialbuminate 
and  contains  the  equivalent  of  6  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron.  Ferratin 
occurs  as  a  light  brown,  tasteless  powder  having  a  faint  odor. 
It  is  soluble  in  weak  alkaline  aqueous  solutions,  from  which  solution 
it  is  precipitated  by  hydrochloric  acid.    It  is  given  in  doses  of 
